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Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Child support authorities in the US are hoping to track down stay-away fathers who refuse to pay child maintenance by posting their details on pizza boxes

Pizza restaurants in one Ohio county have begun plastering their delivery boxes with posters shaming the 10 "most wanted" absentee fathers.

Three pizzerias have so far signed up to the scheme, which has successfully identified one reluctant debtor.

Cynthia Brown, executive director of the Butler County Child Enforcement Agency, had the idea for the poster delivery while she was ordering pizza herself one night.

"It suddenly dawned on me that most people running from the law don't eat out, they order pizza," she said. (this is somewhat muddled thinking...the deadbeats know who they are.)

...

Karen Willis, whose restaurant is one of the three distributing the posters, said she had heard no complaints from customers.

"Some customers joke about it and say they're glad they aren't on it. Most seem to think it's a good idea," she said.

But advocates for fathers' rights did criticise the scheme, telling the Associated Press there are many reasons why someone could end up owing child support.

Widespread public shaming could also leave children devastated, said Michael McCormick, of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children.

"Think how children feel to see a parent on a wanted poster and know their friends might see it," he said.

You know what Mike, I don't think so. When Daddy runs out on you, and your family lives on welfare as a result, first of all, you don't even get to eat order out food like pizza. Second of all, you know full well who has caused your grinding poverty. Actually, it feels better when you know that law enforcement is after the man who has made your mother suffer so much. This was the "feel bad for Daddy" syndrome that predominated during the 1970s when my dad left the four of us destitute while he hid in Seattle. Somehow, the government let him hide while we got 10lb blocks of government cheese and a spot in the local housing project.

It's so much better for the moral development of youth to get a confirmation from society about what is right, what is wrong and who is outside of the law. How's that for 1970s values clarification.?